Economic Briefing Blog

"Good enough" is a phrase that does not belong on the factory floor. Today’s factory processes must meet exacting specifications, and this need underlies many U.S. manufacturers’ decisions to reassess where they are producing or sourcing. Consider that 46 percent of respondents to a 2010 Accenture survey of North American manufacturing companies had "experienced product quality concerns as a result of offshored manufacturing and supply operations," and that 11 percent had product safety concerns.

While broadband availability has expanded for all parts of the United States, NTIA data has consistently shown that urban areas have greater access to broadband at faster speeds than rural areas. In a new report released today, NTIA and the Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) delve deeper into the differences between broadband availability in rural and urban areas.

All manufacturing companies, regardless of where they manufacture their products or source their inputs, must develop strategies that account for the amount of time that passes between ordering new products and receiving those products. However, when production and supply chains extend overseas, many companies find the need to maintain larger domestic inventories because larger inventories help them meet short-term demand surges. Larger inventories also provide a buffer against delayed, defective, or incomplete deliveries.

The Department of Commerce recently introduced the Assess Costs Everywhere tool, which outlines the costs and risks firms need to weigh when considering location of manufacturing operations and supply chains. Trade financing and associated costs are especially relevant to manufacturers with overseas suppliers. These firms must consider more than just the selling prices of the items they plan to purchase. Purchasing goods and supplies from foreign countries requires different payment methods from buying domestically.

Companies that consider moving their manufacturing activities or supply chains outside the United States should carefully consider the total cost of shipping. Expected gains from offshoring can often be erased by long shipping times, rising or fluctuating shipping costs, regulatory fees, and unexpected delays.

The Department of Commerce’s recently released Assess Costs Everywhere (ACE) tool helps firms understand the total costs and risks associated with deciding where to locate their operations or supply chains. These costs range from labor and shipping to product quality to regulatory compliance. We will explore travel costs in this blog.

The Department of Commerce recently introduced the Assess Costs Everywhere tool, which outlines the costs and risks firms need to weigh when considering location of manufacturing operations and supply chains. Labor is at the top of the list. Indeed, businesses cite labor costs as a top factor driving production-location decisions. While perceptions of less expensive labor abroad may have led some businesses to locate outside the U.S., some companies have found that expected savings from foreign labor have whittled away over time in numerous and unexpected ways.

When disaster strikes an American community, local and regional planners focus on saving lives and property, but once the winds stop or the waters recede, the process of assessing the damage and economic impacts begins. Developing an accurate economic and demographic baseline is a key early step in this process, as it gives planners the starting point from which to assess the damage and plan the recovery.

Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released data on new housing starts and building permits. Inventory is an important component of the construction data and recently, as the market has been recovering and completed homes have been selling relatively fast, the aggregate new housing inventory has been declining to some of the lowest levels on record.

About the Economics & Statistics Administration

The Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) plays three key roles within the Department of Commerce (DOC). ESA provides timely economic analysis, disseminates national economic indicators, and oversees the U.S. Census Bureau (Census) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In this latter role, ESA works closely with the leadership at BEA and Census on high priority management, budget, employment, and risk management issues, integrating the work of these agencies with the priorities and requirements of the Department of Commerce and other government entities.